Law signed to speed troops through TSA security

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/01/military-faster-airport-security-law-010312w/

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jan 3, 2012 17:21:36 EST

President Obama has signed a law that within six months could make it easier for service members and their families to get through security checkpoints at major airports.

The Risk-Based Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act, signed by Obama on Tuesday, orders the Transportation Security Administration to come up with a plan to expedite security screening for service members traveling in uniform on official orders so they don?t have to remove their jackets, shoes, belts and medals.

Additionally, service members in uniform and their families could receive expedited screening at major airports that have special screening lanes for frequent travelers who have been prescreened by TSA. Expedited screening would be available only when a service member is traveling on orders and is in uniform, so it would not help on family vacations or other travel.

Any special relaxed screening procedures could be halted if there is a specific security threat regarding people in uniform.

Even before the law was signed, TSA has been trying to ease the rules for service members to travel through security checkpoints. TSA guidance has recommended, however, that service members remove their uniform jackets, metal belt buckles and any metal items in their pockets.

Military members in uniform and with valid military identification are not required, like other passengers, to automatically remove their shoes before passing through X-ray screening, but they must remove the shoes if the alarm sounds as they walk through, making the relaxed rule of limited use to anyone with metal in a shoe.

TSA policy also relaxes rules for military family members without tickets to accompany a service member all the way to a boarding gate or to meet them on arrival. Under rules that vary from airport to airport, families are allowed gate passes for arrivals and departures from overseas deployments.

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Source: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/01/military-faster-airport-security-law-010312w/

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